Committee Introduces New Secondary Field

The Committee for a Secondary Field in Innovation for Social Change expressed their intent to establish a faculty standing committee one week from now at their first student information session yesterday in Boylston Hall.

The organization described the mission of the secondary concentration as to “provide students with an interdisciplinary approach to thinking critically about solving societal problems using focused learning, action, and reflection,” according to a handout given to attendees.

Yesterday’s information session represented the group’s first significant push for student interest.

“We hope that students will reach out to professors and friends and continue to build the momentum in the movement,” said Kara M. Kubarych ’13, faculty outreach coordinator for the group.

The group currently has the support of Science of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dean Cherry A. Murray, former SEAS Dean Venkatesh “Venky” Narayanamurti, Sociology Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies David L. Ager, and Physics Professor David A. Weitz, said Ryan E. Heffrin ’13.

However, they lack an official standing committee of 10 faculty members in support of the new concentration, a requirement for developing a secondary field.

After a standing committee is formed, “the next step is for the faculty to be meeting with the deans and putting pressure on them to say, ‘This is something that the students want and this is something that we would really like to see go through,” said Heffrin.

Approximately thirty-five people, roughly the number of attendees, signed a petition in support of the secondary concentration.

Undergraduate Council Vice-

President Bonnie Cao ’12, a member of the group, gave a speech in support of the initiative. Cao she plans to use her leverage as a UC leader to pressure University Hall to embrace “Innovation for Social Change.”

Following the speeches, the attendees broke into groups with the committee members to discuss possible faculty interest and other ways to support the field.

All attendees received a handout described the proposed requirements for the field.

Students will choose from one introductory course, three electives that represent a focus related to social change, one “experiential learning activity” such as an internship or a self-initiated social venture, and a senior tutorial in their focus area.

Example focus areas include “Education Reform in the U.S.” and “Water Purification to Combat Diarrheal Disease in Poor Countries.”

The idea for the secondary concentration in Innovation for Social Change began two years ago with four students in Ager’s “Social Entrepreneurship” course.

“The idea was how we, as Harvard students, [can] use our combined efforts to create solutions that will improve the world,” said Emily K. Harburg ’11, who spearheaded the committee for the new concentration. “We really wanted to create a minor where students could still pursue engineering or math and could then get a secondary to accompany that major that will serve the world,” she said.

—Staff writer Melanie A. Guzman can be reached at melanieguzman@college.harvard.edu.